


i love you better now

by CherriesAndRaindrops



Series: it feels so scary, getting old [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Canon Autistic Character, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sensory Overload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29634312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherriesAndRaindrops/pseuds/CherriesAndRaindrops
Summary: Isiah has a sensory overload, and Oliver wants to help him.
Relationships: Campbell O’Malley/Isiah Rivas, Oliver Levi & Isiah Rivas
Series: it feels so scary, getting old [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141364
Kudos: 2





	i love you better now

**Author's Note:**

> title inspiration - the morning fog by kate bush.
> 
> i wrote this in under a day so it’s probably crappy. sorry about that.
> 
> anyways, here’s some isiah stuff. i think isiah is one of my favorite ocs because he’s autistic like me and yeah :).

“Why do you always have to fuck everything up?”

“Oh, so I’m the person that fucks everything up?”

“Hey, at least I actually do stuff for this band.” Ronnie snapped. He pointed an accusing finger at Campbell. “You, on the other hand, do nothing but bitch and moan about how hard your life is all day.”

“Alright, let’s calm down and try finishing this song.” Nate suggested, putting herself in between her two friends.

It was an average day at the studio, one filled with more bickering than productivity. The band had been stuck in the same room, crowded by various equipment, instruments, and chairs, since 2:30. Three and a half hours had slowly ticked by, and they were all understandably tired, moody, and ready to go home.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” Campbell asked, gently pushing Nate aside. “Are you jealous of me or something?”

“Of course not. I would never be jealous of someone who’s lazy as hell and doesn’t take any responsibility ever.”

“And I would never be jealous of someone who’s as miserable as you.”

 _“Shut the hell up!”_ Ronnie shouted, attempting to advance closer to the tall blonde.

_“Guys, please!”_

And so an anxious Nate attempted to keep the rivals apart with only the use of her arms. Ronnie was forced to just stand and yell at Campbell about how much he despised them, while they leaned down and muttered how pathetic of a person he was.

And Oliver sat on the other side of the recording booth, watching the spectacle with a tiny smirk on his face. While they were always little riffs during recording sessions that entertained him, but rarely did they escalate into something like this.

And he took pleasure out of it, watching Campbell and Ronnie go at each other’s throats. Sure, it was rather sadistic of him, but he couldn’t help it, he just thought it was funny.

Well, it was, until he looked over and saw Isiah.

The poor thing was trembling in his chair, with his hands clammed over his ears and a look of terror on his face.

He dashed out of the room, without a single one of his bandmates noticing.

Hesitantly, Oliver followed.

—

Isiah was curled up in the corner of the last bathroom stall, muffled sobs spilling out of his mouth as he pounded his fists against the sides of his head. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t stop the burning feeling running through his body. The short brown curls of his hair hitting his neck felt like sharp stones sinking into his skin.

He felt absolutely awful.

He heard the bathroom door creak open.

“Isiah? Are you in here?”

Isiah whimpered at the familiar voice. He knew how Oliver enjoyed teasing and making fun of nearly everyone he met, and the thought of getting teased in one of his lowest moments made him freeze up.

His mind was filled with so many unpleasant thoughts, he didn’t even hear Oliver’s footsteps getting increasingly louder until he eventually opened the stall door.

“Oh, buddy...” The redhead cooed pitifully as he saw the condition the shorter man was in.

“P-please don’t make fun of me!” He exclaimed, cowering into the tiled wall as much as he could.

“I’m not gonna make fun of you, I promise.” Oliver reassured. He locked the stall door, and slouched down to Isiah’s height. “I just wanna help you, that’s all.” He reached his arm out to him.

“Don’t touch me!” Isiah cried, jerking away from him. “I mean... I’m sorry.” He scooted back to his original spot. “I just don’t like being touched.”

“No, it’s okay, I get that.” Oliver responded, plopping down next to him. “So, do you wanna talk about it?”

Out of the blue, the curly haired man bursted into tears once more. “I feel like I’m on fire!” He weeped, pounding his fists on his knees. “I was feeling okay until Campbell and Ronnie started screaming at each other! Now I feel horrible!”

Oliver felt an ache in his heart as he watched Isiah break down in front of him. He rarely even opened his mouth, but he was a sweetheart, always smiling and giggling to himself in the corner of the recording room. It hurt seeing him like this.

“Hey, Isiah.”

“W-what?”

Oliver placed Georgie, Isiah’s stuffed manatee, into his lap.

“Thought you’d need him.”

He quietly gasped, and buried his face into it, his whole body shaking as he attempted to calm down. 

Although his attempts of comforting him were nice, he hated Oliver seeing him like this. He saw how cruel and unkind he could be to other people.

But why was he being nice to him?

Why wasn’t he being bullied mercilessly and being called horrible names like he was oh so many times in his life?

“You feeling any better?”

Isiah thought for a moment. Was he feeling better?

Well, although he still felt like an emotional wreck, his hoodie didn’t feel like it was scratching away at his skin anymore, and the ringing in his ears had finally stopped, so he shrugged.

“Do you need anything?”

“...I changed my mind.”

Oliver titled his head in confusion.

“I want a hug, actually.”

In an instant, he was wrapped up in his arms, and it was one of the most euphoric feelings he’d ever felt in his whole life.

The white shirt with green that he was sporting was softer than silk, and the arms that were wrapped around him filled him with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

It felt nice, being hugged by Oliver.

His arms drifted off of him, like water returning to the large ocean after being thrown onto the beach.

“...can we be friends?” Isiah asked. 

“Of course we can be friends!” The taller man exclaimed. “I’d love that!”

“Really?!”

“Mhm!”

“Yay!” He cheered, grabbing his arms with a joyous look in his dark brown eyes.

Oliver chuckled, slowly pulling himself up. “Alright, I gotta go now back in the recording room now. You wanna stay here?”

Isiah nodded.

“Okay, just call me if you need anything, I’ll always be here.” He poked his nose. “Boop!”

That left Isiah giggling as he walked of the bathroom, excited to have befriended someone so lovely and kind.

—

“I’m so, so sorry about that, sunshine.” Campbell apologized, stroking Isiah’s cheek as they jumped into the driver’s seat of their car. “I would never want you to have a sensory overload because of me.”

“It’s fine, Cam!” Isiah smiled softly. The taller of the two smiled back, pressing a kiss onto the corner of his mouth, making his face scrunch up.

There was a knock on the car’s window. Campbell’s head swung around, and they glared at the person they saw looking back at them.

“Make it quick, Ronnie.” They snapped as they rolled down the window. 

“I’m sorry.” Ronnie stated. “I shouldn’t have started the argument, and I regret doing that.”

His dark blue eyes were faced down at the asphalt, awaiting their response.

“I’m sorry, too.” 

He looked up at Campbell.

They sighed, their head resting on their fist. “I shouldn’t have made you angry.”

The brunet nodded. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

They smiled. “I forgive you, too.”

“Sweet.” Ronnie replied. “Well, I gotta go know. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“See you around.”

“Bye, Ronnie!” Isiah called as he popped out from behind his partner, waving to his friend. He waved back as Campbell drove out of the parking lot and down the streets of the city.

He huffed, and started to make his way to his car.

He passed by Oliver on the way, who merely stuck his tongue out at him.


End file.
